Far From Home
by Lady Katharine Heartspark
Summary: I think the title is a movie . . . oops. It's an S/B fluff, pretty good if I may say so myself. 3/4 of the Circle go to Tortall . . . I just had to figure out a way to get them lost . . . read it and you'll understand. Don't forget to review! *FINISHED*
1. A Journey Begins

****

Okay . . . this story takes place after the COM quartet, and it's written in place of TCO, because that quartet isn't finished and it's too confusing anyway. Sorry about the first scene, but I needed some way to introduce the characters and that was all I could think of. Unless people bug me, we will probably never find out what the cloth is or why it needed fixing. Also, I've tried to stay true to TP's writing style. Hope you like it! So . . . here it is! (drumroll please!)

***

"Regular Talk"

__

Mind-voices

'Thinking'

(Author's Notes)

***

Disclaimer: Roses are red, violets are blue, I no own, so you no sue.

***

Please review when you're done reading, and I don't mind if you flame, but hopefully you liked something!

***

****

A girl sat hunched in a corner of a room, bent over a plain weaving loom. She looked to be around fifteen years old, with sun-streaked brown hair and sky-blue eyes. The corners of her mouth turned down as she stared at the cloth, half-finished on the loom. Her button nose wrinkled as she concentrated hard. For a moment, her eyes looked inside instead of out. The cloth on the loom looked as if it shivered, a flowing wave going across the loom. The girl's mouth straightened, and she grinned. "There!" A white, curly haired dog looked up from its seat on the floor and thumped its tail.

"I'm sorry, Little Bear. Did I wake you up?" The girl reached down and scratched his ears.

"Sandry?" A voice emanated from the room adjacent to the one she was in. A grown woman in a green habit walked in through the door, holding an opened letter.

"I just fixed the cloth!" Sandry's voice was excited as she told her mage-teacher.

"Good. But I need to talk to you about something. Actually, could you get the other two as well?" 

A string tweaked in Sandry's heart, but it was a small pain. Lark had just reminded her that one person was missing. Trisana Chandler, one of Sandry's closest friends and part of the four mages that lived in Discipline Cottage, was traveling around the Gold Ridge Valley with her mage-teacher, Niklaren Goldeye. They were checking on the progress of the area after a three-year drought, ended two years ago by Sandry and her three friends.

"Sandry? Are you paying attention?" Lark's voice penetrated her thoughts.

The small girl shook her head, chasing off the trace of uneasiness that remained. "Yes, Lark, I'm fine," Sandry replied cheerily. "I'll get Briar and Daj.' "

Contacting Briar and Daja was as easy as breathing. _Briar? Daja?_ she called with her mind voice.

A feeling of green plant tendrils eased their way into her mind, quickly followed by a coil of red-hot wire. _Yeah?_ they chorused.

__

Lark wants to talk to both of us, so could you come back home? Sandry's mind-voice seemed like a spun thread to the other two.

__

Of course, Daja answered. _Does it have to be right now?_ Briar wanted to know. _I'm right in the middle of a spell_.

"Can you tell them to hurry?" Lark's normally patient voice was strained.

__

Lark says hurry. And she looks worried.

I'll be there as fast as I can. Briar's mind-voice sounded anxious. Lark didn't get upset easily, and when she did it was usually more than a just cause.

"Is everything all right, Lark?" Sandry herself was more than a little distressed.

Lark made a noncommittal noise in her throat. Her mind was obviously elsewhere. She moved over to a table and sat heavily.

After a few minutes, the door slammed open, and Daja Kisubo entered the cottage. Daja stood almost a hand taller than Sandry, although they were the same age. She was built sturdily. Her skin was the color of a fashionable drink called chocolate, and her hair was braided tightly against her scalp. She had stopped wearing crimson ribbons a few months ago, but still bore a crimson armband to show respect and remembrance of her dead family. Daja fingers grazed against the material of her armband, and she gripped her staff and gave thanks to the Trader gods that she was _trangshi_ no more.

The sight of Lark sitting at the table brought Daja back to the present. "Is everything all right?" she asked, looking concerned.

Lark didn't answer.

__

What's wrong? Daja asked Sandry through their connection. _She's really upset!_

I don't know, Sandry replied. _I'm really getting worried, though._

The door sprang open a second time, and a tall, lanky boy strolled in.

"It's about time you got here," Sandry snapped.

Briar shot her a grin. "Hope I didn't hold up anything important." His gray-green eyes sparkled, but he was out of breath so they knew he had hurried. Sandry and Daja both rolled their eyes.

"Lark?" Sandry's soft voice made Lark look up. "We're all here now. Can you _please_ tell us why you're so upset? What's going on?"

Lark looked at all of them, then took a deep breath. "The truth is --"

She was cut off as another woman walked into the room. Like Lark, this woman was wearing a green habit to show her devotion to the Earth temple. She was fair-skinned with auburn hair, and taller than Lark.

"Lark, do you know where Briar is? I sent him to get . . ." Her voice trailed off as she saw the somber expressions of the four people in the room. "All right. Who died?" she asked in an attempt at joking.

Lark looked at her. "Well, Rosie, I suppose it's a good thing that you're here. I need to tell everyone something rather important, and since you're all here, I'll do it now."

Rosethorn nodded and took a seat at the table.

Lark took another deep breath and said, "We have to leave Discipline."


	2. On the Waveskimmer

****

A/N: Does anyone know what the name of the country is where COM takes place? I'm not sure if it's Emelan or something else. And if it is Emelan, are the Emalenese or Emalenish or what? If you know the answer, please leave a review that tells me. Thanks! Now . . . back to the story

Everyone in the room stared at her in stunned silence.

"Wha . . . What do you mean? What happened?" Daja's voice was shocked.

"The Duke commands that we accompany the ambassador to Tortall."

There was a long pause.

"That's _it_?" Sandry's voice was incredulous. "That's all? The way you were acting, I thought we had been attacked by pirates again, or something, but this . . . this will be _fun_!" The other two chorused agreement, and even Rosethorn looked confused as to why this was such a problem for Lark.

"No, it won't." They gaped as a tear trickled down Lark's cheek and fell to the floor. "I've never even left the country! Now they are forcing us to pack up and leave within five days, and go on a two-week ocean voyage, without a good reason? I hate surprises like this. And I don't like water! It's too wet, and deep, and . . ." She stopped and sniffed. "Who will look after Little Bear? And Discipline? And Rosie, your plants can't go without being cared for. I'll just have to stay!"

"Lark." Rosethorn's voice made Lark look at her. "Be serious! This is the chance of a lifetime! To go to a different country, study their magic . . . and think of all the different styles of clothing they'd have over there! I would think you'd be overjoyed! And don't worry about my plants or Little Bear. I bet Frostpine wouldn't mind looking after the dog, and I'll get Crane to take care of my plants."

This statement made all of them stare wordlessly at her.

"We may not be friends, but he understands plants, and he's honest if it kills him," Rosethorn said crossly. "And I do _not_ want my tomatoes cared for by some novice!" 

"I guess it could be kind of fun. I just wish it wasn't over water." Lark's voice quivered.

"I know that once you get on a ship, you'll have too much to do to think about the water," Briar remarked.

"You'll love the feeling of skimming over the waves," Daja promised. She could hardly contain her happiness. She was going to be on a ship again!

"Okay." Lark sat up straight and squared her shoulders. "I'll go.

She was immediately buried underneath the body of three teenagers as they all tried to hug her.

***

Daja stood at the prow of the _Waveskimmer_, the ship on which the delegation traveled. Closing her eyes, she sighed in bliss as the salt spray blew in her face. _This is what I've been missing,_ she thought. _I can't believe it's been almost five years since I've traveled across the ocean!_

"Enjoying the breeze?" Briar moved beside her, the wind tousling his hair.

"You have _no_ idea," she said happily.

Briar grinned. "I'd say the Trader is right at home."

Daja glanced sidelong at him. "And I'd say the Thief-boy needs to find someone else to talk to. I'm busy."

"I'm hurt. I thought you always wanted to talk to me!"

"Sorry to kill your dreams. Go find Sandry. She _always_ talks."

"Okay, but are you sure? I mean, you are missi --" Daja answered him by shoving him away.

"I give!" Briar held up his hands in mock surrender as he sauntered away to find Sandry.

__

Hey, Sandry! he called through their link.

__

Yes? she answered him.

__

Where are you? I can't think of anything to do, and Daj' said you would probably let me talk to you, so . . .

I'm in the aft cabin, she told him.

***

Briar entered the cabin to find her sitting at a lap-loom. He groaned. "Don't you ever get tired of all those threads?" he asked.

"Do you ever get tired of plants?" Sandry retorted.

"Well . . . no," he admitted.

"There's your answer!" She shot him a triumphant look.

"Don't you have anything interesting for me to do?" Briar asked plaintively. "I'm really bored. I'm not sure I like the idea of being so far from anything green."

"There _are _plants in the sea, you know." Sandry was preoccupied with her loom, and was unaware of the impact her comment made on the boy. Briar gawked at her.

"Bu . . . But how can they survive if they're underwater? They'd drown!"

"I don't really know. Tris mentioned it to me once when she was studying last year." Sandry paused at her weaving and looked up at him. "I wish Tris were here with us. It just doesn't feel right, going without her."

"You know Lark and Rosethorn talked to Niko. She doesn't want to come. She's having fun right back in Emelan," Briar comforted her.

"I still don't like it." Sandry shook the hair out of her eyes and bent over her loom again.

Now Briar had something to do. "I'll talk to you later, okay, Sandry?"

"Sure." She had fallen back into the familiar glow of her power.

Briar exited the room, making for the deck. When he reached it, he sat in a comfortable chair and began his meditation breathing. Dropping into the core of his magic, he saw everything with a silver glint, a result of his magical vision. He fell down past the deck of the ship, plummeting past the metal hull. Water washed around him as he fell. He shuddered. Water was fine for people like Tris, but he'd take good solid earth any day!

Reaching farther, he came to the end of his magical length. _I didn't realize all this water went so deep,_ he thought. Extending a small tendril, he shot back to the surface and looked for his _shakkan_. Old and wise, the miniature tree had reserves of power far beyond his own. Asking permission and getting it, Briar tapped the plant's magic.

Now, with his extended reach of magic, he was able to reach the bottom. To his immense surprise, there _were _plants down there. He stretched out another tendril and fastened to the plants. _What are you?_ he asked them, then settled down for a long conversation.


	3. An Invitation

****

A/N: All right, I apologize for the sum-up, but I'm sick of the boat! Keep R/R, pleaseplease!

The rest of the sea voyage passed uneventfully for everyone on board. Daja spent most of her time on deck, often spending hours sitting peacefully in the crow's nest. The crew didn't mind; she helped them with the rigging in exchange for their co-operation. Sandry was involved with her lap loom. She was weaving a complicated spell that took up a majority of her time. Briar, on the other hand, spent his hours deep in conversation with the plants that lived on the sea floor. He still could hardly grasp the fact that plants could survive under such circumstances. Even though they were having fun, when the _Waveskimmer_ finally docked in Tortall, everyone on board was ready to be on solid ground.

Squads of the King's Riders greeted them at the harbor and escorted them to the Palace. Riding next to so many grown men, Sandry and Daja were more than a little intimidated, and Briar wasn't too comfortable either. Sandry looked around for Lark and Rosethorn, but they were deep in conversation with an extremely tall, extremely powerful looking man with jet-black hair. All three friends were relieved when another young girl rode up and began a conversation with them.

"Welcome to Tortall!" the girl said cheerfully. "I'm Squire Keladry of Mindelan."

Their jaws dropped.

"A f . . . female squire? Isn't that against one of your laws?" Sandry asked. "No offence intended, Squire Keladry," she hurriedly continued. Daja and Briar exchanged an expressive look. Sandry had the ability to put her foot in her mouth faster than anyone else they knew.

Keladry grinned, making them all more comfortable. "It used to be. But now, with King Jonathan . . . any girl can become a page, if they want to. I'm just the only one that's been interested so far. And please, just call me Kel. Everyone else does."

  
"That's wonderful!" Daja blurted.

"I think so." Her eyes sparkled with laughter. "That's my knight-master." She pointed toward the man Lark and Rosethorn were talking to. "He's Sir Raoul, a knight of the realm of Tortall." The three young mages eyed the powerful looking man.

"Is he nice? He seems rather . . . big," said Briar.

Kel's eyes danced. "Don't worry about being intimidated . . . most people are. He's wonderful! He treats me as an equal, and I love working with the King's Riders. They all treat me the same as anyone else, and I appriciate that. Not everyone has been accepting of me, and I . . . well, I get frustrated when people are condescending to me." All three of them nodded. They all knew how that felt.

As the entourage rounded a bend in the road, the Palace came into view. Sandry, Briar and Daja all gasped. The height of the Palace, its flawless architecture, and costly materials it was created out of combined to make it extremely breathtaking.

Kel grinned at their reaction, then extended an invitation. "If you aren't too busy, would you like to take your supper with me in my rooms? I've been to these banquets before, and I don't like them any more than Sir Raoul." Seeing their confused looks, she explained. "Sir Raoul is famous in Tortall for his dislike of banquets. I'm sure he'll find a way to get out of tonight's, and that means I don't have anything to do. So, would you like to eat with me?"

__

What do you think? Sandry asked Briar and Daja. _She seems really nice._

And I've seen those fancy parties, Briar added. _The only people who go are the Bags, and they spend the whole time talking. There's nothing for us to do there._

Sounds good to me! Daja finished. _Let's do it!_

Briar and Daja turned to Sandry, who answered for all of them: "We'd love to!"


	4. Night in the Garden

****

A/N: I'm skipping the entire dinner conversation b/c I want to get to the [relative] action!

Sandry stifled another yawn as she fought to keep her eyes open. She tried to concentrate on what Kel was talking about, but her eyes kept falling shut. 'You know you don't travel well! she mentally scolded herself. 'You should have stayed in your chambers and recovered tonight, not attended a dinner, even a small one.'

__

You guys want to go now? she asked Briar and Daja through their connection.

__

Sure, answered Briar. At the same time, Daja said, _No way! She's completely interesting! And maybe she'll tell me something about metalwork . . ._ she added wistfully.

Sandry stood up. "Kel, I'm sorry, but I'm really, really tired, and I have to get up early in the morning, and I'm really, really tired . . . " she trailed off. "Wait. . . I just said that, didn't I?"

"It's okay. I've noticed you were a little out of it. I hope I'll see you again!" Kel answered with a smile.

"Okay, well I'll see you later, then!" Sandry waved goodbye.

"I think I should be going too," Briar spoke as he stood up. "I need some extra rest as well. I've discovered that traveling over water isn't the best thing for a green-mage like me." He grinned at Sandry, and she felt a little fizzy feeling inside her before she squished it down. Briar bowed gallantly to Kel, who laughed. "It's been _wonderful, _Lady Keladry, but I must leave now."

Sandry smacked his head as she said, "Hurry up, Briar, if you're coming, and stop flirting with Kel."

Briar smiled apologetically as Sandry pulled him away.

***

"Sooooo . . . where _exactly_ are we going, Sandrilene fa Toren?" Briar muttered.

"I don't know. I think I took a wrong turn getting back to our rooms." She looked around desperately for someone to ask for directions.

Suddenly Briar veered off towards the right.

"Briar!" Sandry hissed. "What are you doing?"

"There are some plants calling for me! It's not like I can just leave them! Besides, I don't recognize their voices. That means I've never seen them before!" Briar glanced back at the girl in enough time to see her rolling her eyes. "Oh come on. It's not like you've never been called by a new, um, dye color, or uh, some new thread." He paused. "On second thought, maybe you haven't had that happen." He grinned at her again and exited the hallway through a set of double doors.

As he smiled at her, Sandry felt the same fizzy feeling rise up inside her. She shoved it down again. 'What is going _on_?' she wondered. 'It's not like he's changed or anything since we've arrived here. What is happening? And since when were his eyes so _green_?'

Sandry sighed heavily and followed him outside. She'd figure out the fizzy feeling later; for now all she was worried about was finding her rooms, and she didn't want to be responsible for losing Briar.

The sight that greeted her was a luxurious garden, lit by moonlight. Briar had vanished. She felt along the ties in her magic until she found the one that led to him, and followed it through the garden. After walking a short distance, she found him. He was sitting in a tailor-seat on the ground, both eyes closed, with tendrils of plants curled around his legs, arms, and head. Sandry laughed. Briar opened one eye and gazed reproachfully at her.

"Keep it down, would ya? These plants are interesting, and with your directional skills, I doubt we'll be able to find this garden again."

Sandry walked over in front of him and waited for him to tell the plants to move. Now it was Briar's turn to sigh. "You make it so much work," he grumbled. _Please?_ he asked the greenery.

Looking up at the stars, she heard a slight rustling as the plants moved to make room for her. Sandry looked down to make sure there weren't any stems she might crush, then she laid down on her back, propping her head on Briar's legs. Foliage moved back into place around her, almost locking her in. Sandry yawned.

"Gods," she murmured. "I'm so tired." Her head drooped.

Briar glanced at her. He was about to ask her when the last time she got any sleep was, but he swallowed his words when he saw her regular breathing. 'Whether or not she's asleep, she really needs the rest,' he thought. Craning his neck to look into her face, he saw she was already asleep.

Instead of immediately returning to his plants, he found himself gazing at Sandry. The moonlight reflected off her face, casting ethereal shadows. How her eyes sparkled when she laughed, and how soft she looked while she slept. That night, he had seen her in a different way than he ever had before, and it was beginning to unnerve him. 'I hope she doesn't notice,' he thought. 'Our friendship would be ruined if she didn't feel the same way.' With that last thought, he began talking to the plants again.

After conversing for a while, Briar caught himself yawning. He fought through the wave of sleepiness that almost overwhelmed him, wanting to keep talking to the plants. But it seemed even they were against him. _Rest,_ they told Briar. _We have waited this long for someone like you. We have waited for decades. We can wait another night to finish._

Briar knew plants advice was usually good advice, so he nodded sleepily. Weaving a mat of branches under Sandry's head, he lifted it off his lap and placed it gently on the ground. He sat looking at her for a few minutes. After another wave of sleep overtook him, and he laid down beside her. Briar had just enough presence of mind to create two separate blankets for the two of them, a sort of cocoon of tendrils. He fretted a minute over whether they would be warm enough, but decided it would be fine. Briar told the plants to make another layer if the night got colder, and just remembered his head touching the soft moss before he drifted off to sleep.


	5. A Secret 'Twixt Friends

Sandry blinked awake. _Hmmmm. Why does my ceiling look like a sky at dawn?_ she thought. She was still a little out of it after her long sleep.

She stretched. Or rather, she tried to stretch. What really happened was that she realized her limbs wouldn't move. She looked down and realized that she was covered in plants. It took a moment for that knowledge to sink in, and when it did, she gave a short shriek and struggled to sit up.

Beside her, Briar jolted awake. "What are you doing?!" he demanded. "You're hurting them!"

Sandry's memory returned. Getting lost . . . finding the garden . . . she blushed as she realized that she fell asleep outside. "Sorry," she said sheepishly. "I forgot where I was. Are any of them broken?"

After concentrating for a moment, he answered "No. But next time, watch out, okay?" He grinned, a slow smile that made her stomach flip over.

"Okay," she muttered, annoyed with the way she kept reacting to him.

The plants rustled, momentarily covering both of their bodies as they flowed back to their respective places in the garden. Briar and Sandry sat up.

"Oh, my Gods!"

They whirled around. Kel and Daja stood there. Daja was slack-jawed, staring at them in disbelief. She was the one who had just spoken. Kel laughed.

__

This is baaaaad, said Briar to Sandry.

"_What are you doing_?" Daja bellowed. Before either of them could answer her, Kel elbowed Daja in the stomach.

"Oh, come on, Daja, we should probably leave them alone. They look like we just interrupted them."

Now Sandry's jaw dropped. "_What_ are you _talking_ about?" 

"Isn't it obvious?" Kel grinned wickedly. "The leaves as a cover?"

Briar sat up, looking very goofy with his hair still sleep-tousled. "Okay, come on now. I don't know what the big deal is. Sandry and I just fell asleep out here last night after we left . . ." he trailed off, realizing how this wasn't making the situation any better.

Kel giggled some more. "Come on Daja, obviously we're not wanted. Let's leave them alone for some private time." She pulled Daja away, a feat that made all of them realize just how strong she was. Daja turned around and glared at them while mind speaking. _I can't believe you!_ said her voice, white-hot and confused in their minds.

Briar and Sandry winced. _Ouch, _they said. _Watch it, Daj', you're hurting. Wait until you cool off to talk to us._

You can bet I will talk to you later! How could you do this to all of us? This will change everything! she shouted before shutting them out.

"Why is she so _mad?_" asked Briar in a hypothetical question sort of way. "It's not like anything happened." 'Even though I wish something did,' he mentally added, then scolded himself for thinking such things.

"They don't know that." Sandry's voice was morose. "Now there'll be rumors flying everywhere!"

"Yeah." Something in the tone of his voice made her look up, straight into his jade-green eyes. She froze, staring into their depths, until a shiver ran through her and she was able to move again. She looked at her lap, knitting her fingers together.

A tickle by her ear made her jump. She whirled to the left to see a plant tendril easing itself from the foliage beside her. The plants continued to wrap themselves around her. She looked at Briar. Plants were all over him as well, curling around his body.

Sandry looked at his hair and laughed out loud. "You are desperately in need of a brush," she told him, and reached over to smooth it with her hand.

"As if you don't? Your hair is just as mussed as mine, I bet." Briar reached out his own hand to fix her hair.

The feel of his hand against her face created little shivers of happiness that flowed through her body.

"Your hair won't flatten," she said breathlessly.

"Sandry." She looked at him again. He stared deep into her eyes, searching for the answer to his unspoken question. Briar smiled crookedly and said, "Forget about my hair. But leave your hand there anyway." And with that, he leaned over and kissed her.

Sandry felt a wave of warmth spread outward from where their lips joined. She curled her fingers through his hair, just as he stroked her face with one of his own hands, twisting the other around her back and holding her tight against his body. His lips were soft against her own, and Sandry relaxed in his embrace. She moved to meet him with her own mouth, opening it slightly as they kissed. Sandry felt plants weaving themselves over her body, and she smiled against his lips.

Briar pulled away. "You're lucky they're not watching anymore."

Sandry laughed. "You bet I am. And where did you learn to kiss?"

"I don't tell you girls _everything_, you know," he retorted, looking devilish. "And what about you? When did you learn to kiss?

"I don't tell you _everything_, you know," she copycatted.

"Oh, shut up." He pulled her back to her lips. He eased his mouth over hers, smothering her breath with his own and sending shivers down her back.

They lingered for a while (everyone deserves a little privacy), until Sandry pulled away, smiling up into his eyes.

"We'd better get back to the delegation," she said. "Daja has probably already started spreading rumors . . ." At Briar's questioning glance, she amended, "Well, I guess they aren't really rumors any more."

He kissed her nose and both cheeks before returning to her mouth. "Can't we just stay here?" he asked plaintively, breaking their kiss. "It's so comfortable!"

"I know," she said. "But we have things to do. And besides," Now it was her turn to grin wickedly. "We'll have plenty of time for this later."

"I guess." He slung an arm around her waist and made a gesture with his free hand. The plants above them parted, allowing them to climb out of their private area.

"Do you think we should tell them?" Sandry asked as they walked away.

"I don't know," Briar answered. He kissed her again, but she whacked him on the shoulder. He gave her an incredulous look.

"Not in public! Someone might see!" she hissed.

"So?" he asked defiantly, then sighed as she glared at him. "All right, I won't give our secret away. But —" he landed a swift peck on her lips. "Okay, that's all."

"Good. We'll tell them soon, just . . . not now. When we get home, to Emalen." Sandry stated.

"Fine by me. But for now, we keep it secret."

Sandry kissed him again. "Right."

****

A/N: So it got a little mushy . . . who cares! Sandry and Briar are cute. Well, that's the end! REVIEW PLEASE! it makes me feel loved. :)


End file.
